Corn-picker.



No. 718,337. PATEN'TED JAN. 13, 1903.

J. M. GALLAHER.

001m PIGKER.

' APPLICATION FILED APRLQ, 1992.

N0 MODEL,

3 SERIES-SHEET 1.

No. 7l8,337.

PATENTED JAN; 13, 1903.

J. M. GALLAHER. CORN PIGKER.

A'I'ION r 3 BHEETSSHBET' 2.

I i l' l No. 718,337. v PATENTED JANJ13, 1903., J. M. GALLAHER.

001m PIOKER. APPLICATION FILED APR. 3, 1902.

to 110mm. SHEETS-SHEET s.

7",, Q an I I C UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES M. GALLAHER, OF'MARSEILLES, ILLINOIS.

CQRN-PICKER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 718,337, dated January 13, 1903.

Application filed April 3, 1902. Serial No. 101,204. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES M. GALLAHER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Marseilles, in the county of Lasalle and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Corn-Pickers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates particularly to machines adapted to be driven through a cornfield and serving to husk the ears from the stalk and deliver them to a wagon.

My primary object is to provide a machine of this character of improved general construction, particular attention being paid to securing simplicity and durability of parts and effectiveness of operation.

My invention is illustrated in its preferred embodiment in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a side elevational view of a cornpicker embodying my improvements; Fig. 2, a view taken as illustrated at line 2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a section taken as indicated at line 3 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 4 a section taken as indicated at line 4 of Fig. 2.

The preferred construction is as follows: A represents a rearwardly and upwardly inclined platform or frame member carried by forwardly-inclined supports or standards A, equipped at their lower ends with outturned stubs orspindles A A an inclined U-shaped frame member comprising a web a and side pieces a a having iuturned front ends a a respectively, said frame member A contacting with the upper surface of the platform A- and secured thereto and forming, in effect, a rib of great strength about the margin of the picker-rolls channel A A wheels journaled on the spindles A one of said wheels being equipped with a bevel-gear A A a U -shaped evener-standard or frame member having its lower extremities connected with the front extremities of the frame member A A a transverse block-bar or frame member secured to the .web a of the frame member A and bearing an upwardly and forwardly projecting stud orpivot (W; A", a shaft or pole having pivotal connection at a with a clip of, carried by the stud of; A a frame tilting lever fulcrumed on the standard A at a point a and having pivotal connection at a with a link a with which the shaft a is equipped;

provided at their rear ends with short shafts journaled in the block A and equipped with bevel-gears b b, which mesh, respectively, with bevel-gears b b on a transverse shaft B suitably journaled above the rear end of the platform A; B a substantially vertically disposed shaft equipped at its lower end with a pinion b, meshing with the gear A and equipped at its upper end Wlliha pinion b meshing with a pinion b on the shaft 13*; O, a breaker or snapping bar lying mainly over the roll B and pivotally secured at its rear end on the stud a, said bar being equipped at its front end with a latererally-projecting pivotally-secured guide-rod c and having near its central portion adjusting means 0; D, an upwardly and rearwardly inclined conveyer-chute comprisinga fixed section D and a movable section D pivotally secured to the fixed section at (1; D a laterally-inclined floor parallel with the roll B; over or across which the ears pass to reach the chute-section D; D a flange serv-- ing as a lower end for the floor D and the chute D; D ,a conveyer passing over sprocketwheels at dijournaled at the lower and. upper ends, respectively, of the conveyer; D, a chain passing about a sprocket-wheel at on a shaft (1 carrying the sprocket-wheel (Z and about a sprocket-wheel 01 with which the shaft B is equipped; D", a laterally-turned conveyer spout; E,. clutch mechanism for causing the shaft B to revolve with the pinion b at will, and F an evener carried by the standard A and connected by chains f, passing about pulleys'f, near the base of the standard, with singletrees f The rolls B B are provided with complementary spiral grooves g g, respectively, which are of considerable depth at thelower ends of the rolls and become gradually shallower as the rear ends of therolls are approached. The groove 9 terminates near the longitudinal center of the roll B, near the point 9 while the groove 9 continues to the rear end of the roll, where it becomes quite small. The grooves g g are opposite each other, as are also the raised portions or ICO threads produced by said grooves. The lower end of the roll B projects below the lower end of the rollB to permit the stalks to enter freely, and the upper end of the roll B is cut away at g to afford a space between the upper ends of the rolls, whereat the extremities of any stalks which have not sooner escaped may become disengaged from the machine.

The guide-rod c of the bar 0 passes through an eye or guide h, with which the frame member A is equipped. The adjusting mechanism C of the bar 0 comprises a stem h, having pivotal connection at one end with the bar C and having a threaded portion 71. passing loosely through the guide 71 and equipped with a nut h, confined against movement, as shown in Fig. 4. The bar 0 is set obliquely to the rolls B B and has one edge 72. crossing the space between the rolls near line 4 in Fig. 2. The front end of the bar is provided With a beveled edge 72. which aids in guiding the stalks between the rolls. The machine is equipped with horns or stalkguides 71.7, which serve to direct the stalks into the channel A as shown.

The operation will be readily understood from the foregoing detailed description: The machine is drawn through the field so that the row of corn which enters the channel A may be engaged by the rolls B B. Motion is imparted to the rolls from one of the main wheels of the machine through the medium of the shaft B shaft B and gears 19 12 The gearing is such that the rolls are caused to revolve inwardly and downwardly, so that the stalks are engaged and fed between the rolls, the pitch of the grooves corresponding with the advance of the machine. As the stalk passes between the rolls, being accommodated by the grooves therein, the ear is encountered, usually by the high portion or ribs of the rolls, and while the stem of the ear is firmly engaged the oblique edge of the breaker-bar serves to press the ear over and snap it from its stem, the rolls drawing the husk between them and forcing the ear out, after which the stalk continues to be fed through the rolls until it either escapes through the upper portion of the groove g or through the space 9 at the upper end of the roll B. The ears of corn after being separated from the stalks move laterallyover the inclined surface D into the couveyerchute D, and inasmuch as the conveyer D is in constant operation, as already described, the ears are delivered into the dischargespout D from whence they may fall into a wagon, which travels at the same rate of speed as does the picker.

The bar 0 is adjustable laterally to cause its oblique edge to cross the space between the rolls at a greater or less height, according to the height of the ears of corn being gathered. The tapering or gradually-diminishing grooves of the rolls insure tight gripping of the stalk at all times, notwithstanding the natural taper of the stalks.

l/Vhen desired, the chain D may be taken off and the conveyer-chute flexed at the joint (1 to make the machine more compact, it being understood that it is intended that the free end of the chute shall be secured in some suitable manner.

The left-side standard A, viewed in Fig. 1, is of less height than the right-side standard A, whereby the frame of the machine is given a lateral inclination, (see Fig. 4,) causing the roll B to lie in a somewhat lower plane than the roll 13. This facilitates the passing of the ears across the roll B, as is evident.

Changes in minor details of construction within the spirit of my invention may be made. Hence no undue limitation is to be understood from the foregoing detailed description.

VVhat-I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a machine of the character described, the combination of a suitable frame and suitablyjournaled inclined stalk-engaging rolls journaled therein and provided with complementary spiral grooves, one of said grooves gradually decreasing in size from the front to the rear end of the roll, and the other of said grooves decreasing in size from the front end of the roll to near the middle thereof where it terminates, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a machine of the character described, the combination of a suitable frame, suitablyactuated rolls serving to engage the stalks and stems of the ears, and a pivoted laterallyadjustable normally stationary breaker-bar located above the plane of said rolls, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a machine of the character described, the combination of a suitable rearwardlyand upwardly inclined frame, suitably-actuated stalk-engaging rolls having a corresponding inclination, a breaker-bar pivotally connected near its rear end with said frame adjacent to the upper ends of said rolls, and means for adjusting the free end of said bar laterally, substantially as described.

4. In a machine of the character described, the combination of a suitable frame having a rearward and upward inclination, stalk-em gaging rolls having a corresponding inclination, and a breaker-bar having a corresponding inclination and an oblique edge crossing the space between said rolls, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. In a machine of the character described, the combination of a suitable frame, rearwardly and upwardlyinclined stalk-engaging rolls j ournaled therein, a breaker-bar of corresponding inclination pivoted at its upper end and provided with an oblique edge crossing the space between said rolls, and means connected with the frame and with said bar toward the free end thereof for adjusting said bar laterally.

6. In a machine of the character described, the combination of a suitable frame, rearwardly and upwardly inclined stalk-engaging rolls journaled therein, a breaker-bar of corresponding inclination pivoted at its upper end and provided with an oblique edge crossing the space between said rolls, a guide connected with the free end of said bar and movable transversely of said frame, and means for adjusting said bar laterally, said adjusting means being connected with said bar intermediate the ends thereof.

7. In a machine of the character described, the combination of a suitable frame and suitably-journaled inclined stalk-engaging rolls journaled therein and provided with complementary spiral grooves, one of said grooves gradually decreasing in size from the front to the rear end of the roll, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

8. In a machine of the character described, the combination of asuitable frame, suitablyactuated inclined stalk-engaging rolls, one of said rolls being provided with a spiral groove which decreases in depth in passingfrom the lower to the upper end of the roll, and a correspondingly-inclined breaker-bar having an edge crossing the space between said rolls and opposed to said grooved roll, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

9. In a machine of the character described, the combination of a suitable frame, suitablyactuated inclined husking-rolls, one of said rolls being provided with a spiral groove which decreases in depth in passing from the lower to the upper end of the roll and the other roll having a corresponding groove terminating near the center of the roll, and a correspondingly-inclined breaker-bar lying mainly over said last-named roll and having an oblique edge opposed to the other roll, for the purpose set forth.

10. In a machine of the character described,

the combination of aframe having an upwardly and rearwardly inclined U -shaped frame member with inturned lower extremities, stalk-engagingrolls having their lower ends journaled in said inturned extremities,

a transverse shaft located adjacent to the rear 7 ceiving channel, a U-shaped frame member secured to said platform and having inturned lower ends serving as journals for the stalkengaging rolls, and. forwardly and upwardly inclined supports connected with said platform and provided with outturned spindles,

substantially as described.

12. In a machine of the character described, a frame having an upwardly and rearwardly inclined platform provided with a stalk-receiving channel, a U-shaped frame member secured to said platform and having inturned lower ends serving as journals for the stalkengaging rolls, forwardly and upwardly inclined supports connected with said platform and provided with outturned spindles, anda U-shaped evener-standard having its lower ends connected with the lower ends of said first-named U-shaped member, substantially as described.

JAMES M. GALLAHER.

Witnesses:

EDWIN R. SPENCER, ERNEST S. GooDELL. 

